Nuggets’ first-round draft pick Michael Porter Jr. underwent a second back surgery last week, a league source confirmed to The Denver Post Wednesday evening.

Porter’s health caused his draft-night slide to Denver at No. 14 overall. The former No. 1 high school prospect missed all but three games of his only season at Missouri following his first back surgery to repair two herniated disks. He also rescheduled a multi-team workout in Chicago prior to the draft because of hip spasms he said were unrelated to the back injury.

But Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said the potential reward with Porter, should he return to form, outweighed the risk of selecting him at the end of the draft lottery. Connelly has emphasized since that night that the organization would be “extremely patient” with Porter and wait until he is “perfectly healthy” before putting him on an NBA floor.

“You have to take a swing at guys like that,” Connelly said following the draft. “ …We’re going to take the long view for everything we do with him.”

Porter had been with the Nuggets following the draft, working with trainers during summer league practices and launching free throws and jump shots following those sessions. He was also sitting on the Nuggets’ bench in Las Vegas for their early summer league games.

Connelly has not dismissed the idea that Porter could sit out the entire 2018-19 season to rehab and utilize NBA personnel and resources. NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner, however, reported Wednesday that Porter’s camp believes the second procedure was a “breakthrough,” and that he does not plan to miss the full upcoming season.

Denver could use depth at small forward after trading 2017-18 starter Wilson Chandler to Philadelphia earlier this month. Will Barton, who recently signed a four-year contract, is expected to move into the starting lineup, while Torrey Craig signed a two-year full NBA deal after playing on a two-way contract last season.

Porter is one of three new Nuggets with recent health troubles. Foot and ankle injuries limited second-round draft pick Jarred Vanderbilt to 14 games during his one season at Kentucky and kept him out of playing in summer league. Veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas, who signed with Denver earlier this week, missed much of last season due to a hip injury.

Porter signed his rookie contract earlier this month, which will pay him $2.9 million in 2018-19.